Peering in windows: An autoethnographic inquiry of a parent/educator with a young child in school

The intent of this dissertation is to document my reflections and experiences of parent inclusion as both a mother and educator, through a practitioner inquiry. Using autoethnography as the research methodology, I elicit memories from my past and recent history. The inquiry follows a timeline of events that are captured through narrative vignettes, poetry, and metaphor. They relate to my experiences with my mother, who cared a lot about my school life, my interactions with the parents of my past and current students, and my desire to be included in my daughter's learning journey. Through analyzing my narrative vignettes and poetry, and exploring my questions through metaphor, I seek a balance between being an overly involved parent and a parent who is justifiably involved in my daughter's education to support her learning. Building on previous understandings around parent involvement, engagement, and participation, this inquiry contributes new ideas to the conversation through the notion of parent inclusion. In essence, parent inclusion suggests creating more opportunities to build relationships between parents and educators so they can positively interact and support each other, while simultaneously supporting the children in their lives. Findings from this study include the importance of parental inclusion within public education as a tool for helping children in their academics, using learning to connect families to school, and for building a more equitable teaching practice.